Golf course philosophy

Golf course design philosophy simply cannot be described easily with simple, basic terms.One may just look at the sheer amount of books on the subject to notice the depth and intricaties of this art and discipline. I don't want to go "in depth" about course design (at least not right away) as we'll have plenty of time for that in future articles. What I'll do right now is describe the global course design philosophy I'll try to apply in my future courses, which will help tremendously to create, mold and maintain a true identity to Greenbook golf Design.

Things I'll focus on:

- The course, at all costs, needs to feel natural and intimately connected to the land it's based on. The shape design, general strategy and overall flow of the course is dictated by the land in the most natural way possible. Nothing must feel exagerated, out of place or unnatural.

- I'll try to provide as much strategic choices as possible, without falling too much in the "risk/reward" zone. Every caliber of player must face an appropriate challenge for his or her skills. Players must see the course not as a boring point "A" to point "B" using shot type "C" affair, but rather an invitation to discovery, open thinking and creativity that leads to a rewarding and different experience every round.

- The approach to design will be as minimalist as possible. I want to keep the design "clean" and without unnecessary bells and wistles. The Tom Doak approach to design is the style I'll try to adopt in most situations, unless of course the design calls for a different approach.

- I'm not a fan of "signature holes"....courses that are recognized for a single, spectacular hole but not much else. A good course should contain 18 good golf holes, each unique with his own challenges....and each an integral part of the course. The whole course must be an experience to remember, and I'll try my best to achieve that.

I think that may cover the basics for now about Greenbook golf design philosophy. My next post will be about the projects currently in development, with tons of infos, notes and hopefully pictures :)